Mitchell is the only daughter of Dennis Mitchell and Eleanor Majid. She has 5 brothers Tyler, Troy, Travis, Reggie, and Robbie. Mitchell is multiracial. Her father is American and her mother is Australian of Asian descent (specifically Filipino, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indian, and others).[4][5] Mitchell has dual citizenship in the United States of America and Australia.[6][7]

Mitchell attended Kennewick High School in Kennewick, Washington. Mitchell was a four-year starter at Kennewick High School. Mitchell was named first-team all-state and all-conference as a junior and senior at Kennewick High School and earned Big Nine Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior. In four consecutive years, Mitchell led Kennewick High School to state championship games, including Kennewick's title-winning season of 2000.

Mitchell played her first three years of college basketball at the University of Idaho. Mitchell rose to national prominence in her sophomore year, and was named honorable mention All-America by the Associated Press and the WBCA in 2005-06 She was named one of 11 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation's top point guard She led the WAC and ranked second in the nation in steals in 2005-06, averaging 4.0 per game. She ranked first in the WAC and 18th nationally in assists, averaging 5.6 per contest, and scored 17.6 points per game.

As a junior for Idaho, ranking second in the WAC and 50th in the nation Mitchell left Idaho with the school's career record for steals (323) and also a single-game record for three-pointers (seven). She was in the top 10 on four single-season and five career charts at Idaho Mitchell holds the WAC single-season record for steals. She also on four WAC career top 10-charts.

Mitchell then transferred to the University of Utah. She sat out the 2006-07 season under NCAA rules, and then played the 2007-08 season for Utah.[8] At Utah she dishes out 7.23 assists per game, and won five Mountain West Conference Player of the Week awards, more than any other player in the MWC. She has eight 20-point games this year. That count includes five 24-point outings and two season-high-tying 26-point games (at BYU and UNLV).

Mitchell was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury twenty-fifth overall in the second round of 2008 WNBA Draft.[9] Mitchell was then traded to the New York Liberty learned during the 2008 pre-season that the Mercury planned to cut Mitchell, the Liberty acquired Mitchell in a trade in exchange for a 2009 third round draft pick.[10]

Initially a bench player, Mitchell made her first professional start on June 6, 2008 in place of the injured Loree Moore. In her career start she had team-high 18 points going perfect 6-6 from the floor including 3-3 from three point range. During the 2008 season she developed a strong fan following and a reputation for fearlessness in grabbing loose balls and occasionally driving to the basket.

Mitchell scored 14 points in the Liberty's narrow loss to the Detroit Shock in Game 3 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals.

Mitchell became the regular starting point guard in the 2010 season, after the Liberty released Moore in the offseason. Mitchell led the WNBA in 3-point percentage at 48%, scored 9.3 points per game, and had 3.8 assists per game en route to winning the 2010 WNBA Most Improved Player Award.[11]

On September 2, 2011, Mitchell scored a career high 24 points in a win against the Minnesota Lynx. Mitchell voluntarily decided to skip the 2014 WNBA season to spend time with her family in Australia.

On April 21, 2014, Mitchell announced that she will take the 2014 WNBA season off to spend the summer in Australia.[12]

Mitchell has played for ASPTT Arras in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB), a French professional league, during the WNBA off-season.[5] For the 2009-10 season, Mitchell won the Import Player of the Year Award and was named to the LFB 1st Team.[14]